CMS Releases 4 Resources Designed to Help Providers Navigate Federal Requirements
Recently, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released four resources designed to help guide the actions of eligible clinicians who want to participate in the agency’s Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). These initiatives — which include three fact sheets and list registries for MIPS data reporting — aim to ease the transition as clinicians implement the requirements of the federal program by answering any questions that might linger regarding the process.
MIPS Improvement Activities Fact Sheet Overview
The MIPS Improvement Activities fact sheet lists the improvement activities that CMS has deemed that clinicians can choose from. It also offers guidance regarding the submittal of this performance information as well as an overview of the criteria so that eligible clinicians can receive credit.
The requirements of the clinical improvement activities performance category of MIPS are outlined in this documentation. It also contains information regarding the scoring used for participants in the alternative payment model (APM) as well as the process they need to follow to have suggested improvement activities that can be added to those that are already on the CMS list of approved areas.
MIPS Qualified Registries Overview
CMS also introduced a growing list of entities that have been designated as qualified registries. Eligible clinicians had the option of using this list of comprehensive data reporting registries beginning in 2017. While these entities can be nominated on their own behalf so they can become submittal registries, each one must undergo a five-month-long period of attestation. This is necessary for the entity to earn its CMS authorization so that it can then operate as a qualified registry.
As of this writing, there are more than 100 registries that are qualified be submittal portals for clinicians’ MIPS data. Clinicians can find information such as the services offered by each entity, the cost of data submittal, contact information and the performance categories that are supported when they access the MIPS Qualified Registries.
MIPS Participation Fact Sheet Overview
CMS released the MIPS Participation Fact Sheet so that clinicians can determine if they must participate and what expectations that participation means for them. This documentation also provides voluntary participation guidelines, MIPS exemptions and the special rules that pertain to a certain segment of clinicians who are MIPS eligible.
Clinicians who practice in federally qualified health centers (FQHC) or rural health centers (RHC) can learn what’s expected of them in this fact sheet. These medical providers can find out if the FQHCs and RHCs where they practice are not required to participate in MIPS. Generally, though, if a clinician practices in critical access hospitals, they must also participate in MIPS.
MIPS Quality Performance Fact Sheet Overview
CMS released the MIPS Quality Performance Fact Sheet to give clinicians an overview of the programs the agency offers including MIPS and Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs). Focusing primarily on MIPS, this fact sheet details the clinician groups that can participate, the quality measure classifications and ways to submit data. The fact sheet also offers a step-by-step approach that clinicians can use to get started in the MIPS program.
Making use of these resources can help clinicians find the best option for data reporting and compliance. Ensuring that the practice has access to a state-of-the-art and innovative EHR like Exscribe ensures that important data is organized and accessible, making it easy to be in compliance. Call (866) 870-1521 or fill out the web form for a free demo!
